The Texas Supreme Court has mandated that all Civil, Family and Probate Cases must be filed Electronically (E-file) effective July 1, 2014 for Galveston County (see below mandate schedule). In an effort to prepare for this new process, Galveston County began accepting e-filings for Civil, Family and Probate Cases on Thursday, November 21, 2013 in advance of the mandate. In addition to providing early e-filing capability, the County Clerk and District Clerk have established requirements to support the e-filing process that coincide with the Supreme Court rules.

a. 500,000 or more — January 1, 2014b. 200,000 to 499,999 — July 1, 2014(Galveston County, Texas)c. 100,000 to 199,999 — January 1, 2015d. 50,000 to 99,999 — July 1, 2015e. 20,000 to 49,999 — January 1, 2016f. less than 20,000 — July 1, 2016

Most Common User Questions:

1. Why am I getting errors in eFileTexas?

If you are getting errors in eFileTexas, try clearing your cache (i.e. temporary files) before contacting the eFileTexas Help Desk.

How to Clear Cache

Internet Explorer 9

Click the gear icon at the top right to open the Settings menu

Select Safety and Delete Browsing History

Select Temporary Internet Files. You will also need to uncheck all of the other boxes, including Preserve Favorites website data

Click the Delete button near the bottom of the window

Reload the File and Serve page by pressing the "Reload this page" button or F5

Internet Explorer 8

Click the Tools menu

Click on Delete Browsing History

Select Temporary Internet Files

Click the Delete button near the bottom of the window to delete your temporary files (i.e. clear your cache)

Reload the File and Serve page by pressing the "Reload this page" button or F5

Firefox

At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button

Click Options

Select the Advanced panel

Click on the Network tab

In the Cached Web Content section, click Clear Now

Reload the File and Serve page by pressing the "Reload this page" button or F5

Chrome (not a supported internet browser in current eFileTexas)

Click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar

Select Tools

Select Clear browsing data

In the dialog that appears, select "Empty the cache"

Use the menu at the top to select "beginning of time"

Click Clear browsing data

Reload the File and Serve page by pressing the "Reload this page" button or F5

Clerks Accept or Return SubmissionsCourt clerks receive the electronically filed documents and associated fees for processing and acceptance, review the documents, accept or return the filings, and provide an electronic timestamp notification to the filer for the accepted documents.

3.Do I have to use an Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP)?

Yes, but you may file directly through eFileTexas. One of the other EFSP’s may offer additional services which might interest you.

4.I already use an EFSP, do I need to switch?

No, as long as your current EFSP has been certified to submit filings to eFileTexas, there is no need to switch providers. Please visit the eFileTexas website at www.efiletexas.gov to confirm your EFSP has been certified.

5.Is there a fee to e-file?

Yes, there are fees associated with filing documents electronically on the eFileTexas system:

Standard Court Filing Fees

Contact your local court for information on filings fees

Service Provider Fees

Most EFSP’s charge fees for e-filing and related services. These fees vary by EFSP and transaction. eFileTexas provides a free EFSP service.

Yes. The eFileTexas system adheres to state and federal security regulations and meets Payment Card Industry Security Standards to protect filer and transaction information.

7.My document is styled with two or more cause numbers. Do I need to submit the document twice?

Yes. Once for each cause number listed on the document.

8.What if I’m filing a case with an Affidavit of Indigence? How are the fees handled?

You will have a "waiver" option for those instances where you are not required to make a payment. Please check with your EFSP provider to verify they provide the “waiver” option.

9.There is not a “filing code” which fits my document title exactly. What do I choose?

Choose selection closest to the filing document title.

10.May I include more than one document for filing per submission?

Yes, eFileTexas will allow multiple documents with the same cause number to be filed in one submission.

11.How do I file the “Original Will and/or Codicils” with the Probate Clerk now that I’ve electronically filed my Application to Probate Will?

You have approximately 3-5 Business days to send the “Original Will and/or Codicils” via mail once your new case has been electronically submitted. Your new case will not be placed on the uncontested docket until you have filed your “Original Will and/or Codicils” in a timely manner.

​Please resubmit the document (1) by rotating the documents so that the file mark will appear in the upper right hand corner, (2) In text searchable PDF, (3) Directly convered to PDF if possible, (4) With a 300 dpi resolution, (5) with a page size of 8.5" x11" and (6) with no embedded fonts.